Last night we landed a car on Mars. The success depended on scores of scientific theories that, being just "theories," are not fact. Magic may also explain the success. After all, the task is so complex that no human could possibly have made it all work. Supernatural intervention was clearly required.

Lol! They are. One of the awesome things about last night was that "we" got a picture of the lander in the powered flight phase (when it was firing its rockets to slow itself down, 1 minute before the final lowering). That picture should be out later today, it is being processed. (The "we" refers to humankind as well as, my colleagues from my university and my college within the university working in a building very close to my office.)

What people may not realize is that the final landing was done by lowering the SUV-sized rover the last 20 meters (60 feet) by a crane from a stationary hovering decent stage! Imagine watching a car being lowered autonomously from a helicopter. There is a video out there showing the plan, which seems to have worked flawlessly, but I can't find the video right now. The video is definitely entertaining.

This puppy is all about doing chemistry so don't expect too many pretty pictures, but the science is going to be spectacular regardless of what we find or fail to find.

There are some people who think that just because something is called a theory, it is not true, it is only an opinion. Oh well...

We used the Theory of Propulsion(ToP) to launch the craft from earth and set it to a ballistic orbit intersection Mars (oh, and Theory of Planetary Motion to know where Mars would be), the Theory of Gravity to predict the path of the vehicle during its ballistic phase, a little bit of ToP now and then to make minor corrections, then more ToP to transition into a Mars entry path. There was some Theory of Heat Transfer involved to keep the important parts cool during entry, some Theory of Drag and Theory of Planetary Atmospheres to slow it down to about 900 MPH, then more Theory of Drag to make a parachute that slowed it down more...and some Theory of Elasticity to make a chute that didn't tear to shreds. After that there was more ToP along with some Control Theory balanced with the Theory of Gravity until the package was 60 meters above the surface. The rest was all just magic I think.

There are some people who think that just because something is called a theory, it is not true, it is only an opinion. Oh well...

It's too bad theories are just theories.

I know you're reading this Eagle!

Actually I read this thread today. Funny stuff. The theories you mention have sufficient evidence to be backed up. Evolution is really one of the only theories that I don't believe can be verified. But got to love the sarcasm and cheap punches. Good try.

Actually I read this thread today. Funny stuff. The theories you mention have sufficient evidence to be backed up. Evolution is really one of the only theories that I don't believe can be verified. But got to love the sarcasm and cheap punches. Good try.

There is a vast amount of evidence for evolution, more than some of the theories I mentioned. You just don't believe it because do not think critically but rather accept what you have been told without evidence. You do not believe that evolution has occurred because you believe it contradicts some book you have read. You throw out 100+ years of scientific inquiry without even being willing to weigh the evidence fairly. What are you afraid of? And given that you admit to not being able to open your mind and evaluate evidence critically without prejudice, does that not cast a shadow on your thinking about all topics?

Evolution is really one of the only theories that I don't believe can be verified.

Uhm... we've literally seen evolution happen. We've actually observed species evolve over several generations, in a lab.

How can anyone seriously claim that evolution is still just a "theory" when it's happened repeatedly, right before our eyes?

It's like a global-warming denier being shown a graph illustrating how the Earth has in fact warmed by over a degree in the past century, then claiming, "There's no proof the Earth is warming." Yeah there is - I just showed you that it's happening!

It's like a global-warming denier being shown a graph illustrating how the Earth has in fact warmed by over a degree in the past century, then claiming, "There's no proof the Earth is warming." Yeah there is - I just showed you that it's happening!

It's easy. Just close your eyes, refuse to look at the graph, and keep saying that the bible doesn't say the earth is warming so it can't be.

Then invent a science based on the following logic:

1. Based on observation in the lab, we observe things increase in temperature when a Bunsen burner is placed beneath them.

2. Based on observation of nature, there is no evidence for a Bunsen burner existing under the earth.

Ergo, the earth must not be warming because the Bunsen burner mechanism has been proven not to be present.

To get your science accepted by legislatures and school boards, acknowledge that there may be other mechanisms for heating but refuse to discuss them unless a panel of your own experts meets and decides (based only on their own self-appointed authority) that the other mechanism does not conflict with pre-existing beliefs.

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